Making Headlines: Former Washington Post publisher Graham and pugnacious hedge fund manager Ackman (pictured above) have each donated $25 million to TheDream.us to help fund college scholarships for undocumented young people. Mark Zuckerberg, on cue, gave $5 million of his own money a month later.

Grand Plan: Send teams of veterans to do disaster relief work, where their military skills can be put to crucial use.

Making Headlines: Following tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Wood led vets to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Today Team Rubicon, the nonprofit he co-founded, has 30,000 members helping disaster victims from Kathmandu to Tuscaloosa.

MAJORA CARTER

Andrew H.Walker/Getty images

Grand Plan: Keep the talent in low-status communities from leaving, and diversify the tech industry.

Making Headlines: After winning a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship and a Peabody Award, Carter built StartUp Box #South Bronx, a social enterprise that seeks to establish an entry level technology job pipeline in the underprivileged neighborhood.

RAJESH ANANDAN

Ben Gabbe/BFA/Rex/Shutterstock

Grand Plan: Bring UNICEF into the 21st century.

Making Headlines: The old UNICEF's big idea was cardboard boxes on Halloween. But senior VP Anandan, formerly of Microsoft, comes up with new campaigns and creations, like the Kid Power fitness tracker, a wristband that enables kids to raise money for UNICEF based on their physical activity.

DANIEL LURIE

Noah Stout

Grand Plan: Fight poverty in the Bay Area, Silicon Valley–style.

Making Headlines: In the 10 years since this scion of a prominent San Francisco family (and Malcolm Gladwell fan) started Tipping Point Community—which is modeled on New York's Robin Hood Foundation—he has raised more than $100 million, which he uses to make traditional nonprofits more nimble.